Rotary engine.



No. 825,770. PATBNTED JULY 10, 1906.

w. 0. SMALSTIG. ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 825,770. PATENTED JULY 10 1906;

' W. 0. SMALSTIG.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

nN TTnn STATES PATENT oFFroE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1906.

Application filed August 23. 1905- Serial No. 275.444.

To It whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM O. SMALSTIG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RotaryEngines, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary steam-engines, andpertains more particularly to that class where several abut ments areused upon a single piston.

The object of my invention is to provide an engine of this character inwhich the piston is provided with any desired number of pistonheadsprovided with packing for engaging the inside of the cylinder and rotaryabutments geared to the engine-shaft and having openings or recessestherein in which the piston-heads are adapted to enter while passingsaid abutments. I

Another object of my invention is to provide a separate and independentsteam-supply pipe on each side of all of the rotary abutments, wherebythe engine is reversed and the valves for controlling the supply ofsteam being linked together the supply of steam for each side of therotary'abutment is simultaneously operated for reversing the engine.

A still further object of my invention is to so arrange the inlet-portsor communications between the steam-chest and the cylinder that the samecan be opened for a longer period of time for admitting more steam tothe cylinder in starting the engine and also in the running of theengine when a heavy load is placed on the engine. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is .a perspective view of myimproved engine,

showing the gearing for operating the several rotary abutments and thearrangement of the levers for operating the exhaust-cocks simultaneouslywith the inlet-ports. Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking from thedirection carrying the steam-chest and showing the lever-and-linkconnection for operating the several valves simultaneously for reversingthe engine and operated by the same lever by means of which theexhaust-cocks are oper ated. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectionalview taken through the cylinder. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevationshowing the steam-chest and the sliding valves therein for increasing ordecreasing the time that the steam is admitted within the cylinder. Fig.

5 is a transverse vertical sectional view showing the arrangement of theseveral rotary abutments and the piston working in conjunctiontherewith.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 repre sents the base, upon which ismounted the cylinder 2, and said cylinder, as shown, is arranged in avertical position on the base and is provided, as shown, on its outerperiphery with the enlarged portions 4, which, as shown are four innumber, but which may be of any desired number, and in which arerotatably mounted the abutments 5 and 6, which are two in number, withineach of said enlarged portions.

Rotatably mounted within the said cylinder is the rotary piston 7, whichis formed of an outer solid portion 8, which is of a diameter lessthan-the diameter of the central bore 9 of the cylinder, thus leavingthe' steam-expansion chamber 10 surrounding the cylinder. The saidpiston, as shown, is provided with five piston-heads 11, which, asshown, is one greater in number than there are pairs of rotary abutmentsand are arranged at equal distances apart, and thus so positioned on thepiston in respect to the abutments and their respective valves that oneof said pistonheads is at all times in such a position when the steam isadmitted to the steam-chest that its respective valve is open and thatsteam will engage said piston-head and start the en gine, and thus theengine cannot possibly stop at any point wherein the engine cannot bereadily started. The outer ends of the piston-heads, as shown, areprovided with a packing 18 at its sides and ends to form a tight jointwith the cylinder and prevent the leakage of the steam from around thesame.

The rotary abutments, as heretofore mentioned, are arranged in pairs andhave their outer ends extending through the cylinderhead 14 and carryinggears 14, which are adapted to mesh with the large gear 15, car ried bythe piston-shaft 16, and the gears are so proportioned in size that therotary abutments are timed to rotate, as hereinafter more fullydescribed. The said piston-shaft 16 at its outer end is provided withthe usual balance-wheel 17, and the opposite end 18 of the piston-shaftextends through the cylinderhead 19 and carries the valve mechanism,which will also be hereinafter described. The said abutments 5 and 6 areeach provided with a cut-away portion 20, into which the piston-heads 11are adapted to pass, and the abutments are, as heretofore described, sogeared to the engine-shaft that the said opening is in its properposition to receive its respective piston-head and to be rotated as thepiston-head travels forward. The positioning of the rotary abutments inpairs, as shown, is such that as the piston-head passes from the openingof one abutment it passes into the opening in the companion abutment,

and thus the space between the two abut' steam-passages 23 and 24, whichhave in communication therewith the inwardly-extending passages 25,which communicate with the steam-space 10 around the piston, and throughwhich the steam is admitted thereto. The said communication 25 extendsobliquely inward toward the rotary abutment, and thus admits steam tothe space 10 at a point very close to the abutment, thus giving as largea steam-chamber as possible for the expansion of the steam. The outerends of the passages 23 and 24 extend through the cylinder-head 1.9 andhave in communication therewith the steam-supply passages 23 and 24,leading from the steam-chest on the outside of the cylinderhead. Thesaidpassages intermediate their connection with the cylinder andsteam-chest are provided with a turning plug 25, by means of which thesteam is cut off from said passages. The said turning-plugs are eachprovided with an operating-lever 28, which are so connected together bylinks 28, which are operatively connected to the inter mediately-pivotedlever 29, which is adapted to operate said links and necessarilyoperates the turning-plugs through the medium of the links. The saidturning-plugs and their respective levers are so arranged that all ofthe plugs on the left of the rotary abutments are opened when the leveris swung in one direction and the valves on the opposite side are closedand when the lever is swung in the opposite direction the valves areopened and closed in just the reverse direction, and thus the engine isreadily reversed.

The end of the shaft 18 of the piston, as be fore described, projectsthrough the cylinderhead 19, and, as shown, the steam-passages 23 and 24carrying the valves 25, are on the outside of the cylinder-head andcarried thereby. Carried by said cylinder-head on the outside of thecylinder is a steam-chest 30, which is of a circular box-like form andis provided at its center with the steam-inlet supply-pipe 3 1, whichenters the center thereof and is provided with a turning-plug 32, whichis adapted to cut off the steam for stopping the engine. The saidsteam-passages leading from the cylinder to the steam-chest, as shown,have their inner ends curved, as shown at 33, opposite the steam-chest,and, as shown, each pair of inlets are turned or curved in oppositedirections, which is for the purpose now to be described. Each of saidsteam-passages is provided with two openings 34 and 35, the opening 34being adjacent the outer periphery of the steam-chest, while the opening35 is at the inner ends of the curved portion 33 of the steam-passage,thus bringing the same out of a radial line with the opening 34,hereinafter described.

Rotatably mounted within the steamchest upon the shaft 18 is a rotaryvalve 35,

which is in the form of a disk and normallyclosing the ports 34 and 35.The said valve is provided at or adjacent its outer periphery with theopenings 37 which are adapted to register with the openings 34 adjacentthe outer periphery of the steam-chest, and thus the steam is admittedto the cylinder and cut off. The positioning of said openings in thevalve is such in respect to the pistonhead that the respective head hasjust passed 5 the inlet-opening in the cylinder when the respectiveopening in the valve registers with its opening 34, and the steam passesthrough the passage 18 into the cylinder and works against thepiston-head. The said rotary valve 36 is provided with a series ofopenings 38, arranged circumferentially around the shaft on the insideof the openings 37, and each of said openings is provided with aslideway 39, in which is radially slidable the gates 40, which when intheir normal outward position close the openings 38, and said openings38 register with the openings 35 in the inner curved ends of thepassage-ways 23. The inner ends of said sliding gates 40 have links 41pivotally connected thereto, and said links are pivotally connected attheir outer ends to a sleeve 42, which is slidably mounted upon theshaft 18 of the piston. The said sleeve 42 is keyed upon the shaft, thusrotating with the rotary valve, and thus the links and the sliding gatesare held in their normal positions in respect to the sleeve. The saidsleeve being slidably mounted upon the shaft, it will be readily seenthat inward movement of the sleeve will move the sliding gates 40outward and close the openings 37. The outer end of the sleeve 42 isprovided with a radially-extending flange 43, which is adapted to passwithin the outer bifurcated ends of the arms 44 and 45, which arerigidly carried by a rock-shaft 46, which is mounted within thesteam-chest, and thus the rocking of said shaft throws the sleeve in orout and opens or closes the inner series of openings for allowing thesteam to pass from the steam-chest into the steam-passages to thecylinder. The outer end of the rockeshaft 46 extends through thesteam-chest and is provided with an operating-lever 48, which works in aguide 49, carried by the outer face of the steam-chest and is providedwith means for holding the lever in its adjusted postion.

The normal operation of the engine in running is the passage of thesteam through the outer series of openings in the steamchest into thepassages 23 and to the engine-cylinder to the proper side of theabutment, according to the direction that the engine is running, whichis governed by the lever which opens and closes the proper passage-'ways. In starting the engine or whenever an extra load is placed uponthe engine the lever 48 is swung in the direction indicated by thearrow, which moves the sleeve 42 outward on the shaft and draws thesliding gates 40 inward and exposes the opening 34, and thus it will beseen that the openings 35 communicating with the steam-passages being aslight distance to one side of the openings about the time when theopenings 35 are being closed by the rotating valve the openings are incommunication with the openings 34 in the rotary valve and more steam isadmitted to the engine-cylinder, which greatly increases the power ofthe engine and which provides means whereby such increased sup ply ofsteam can be shut off at any time and the engine run under its normaloperation.

The cylinder on the opposite end from that carrying the steam-chest isprovided with a series of exhaust-cocks 50, which are in communicationwith the steam-space 10 around the cylinder and, as shown, are equal innumber to the steam-supply passa 'es and oppo site the same. The said000 s have connected thereto the links 51, which are connected to theintermediately-pivoted lever 52, which is provided with the arm 53,which extends upwardly over the cylinder and is connected to theintermediately-pivoted lever 39, and thus the levers are rigidlyconnected so that they may be operated together. Said arm 53 is providedwith an upwardly-extending operating-lever 54, which works against thesegmental bar 55, carried by the upper end of the cylinder. The saidexhaust-ports are so arranged in respect tothe inlet-cocks that oneinlet and one exhaust between each pair of rotary abutments is opened.so that the steam is passing in at one end and out at the opposite endwhen the steam is running in either direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

l. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, rotary abutments arranged inpairs, steamsupply openings on opposite sides of said abutments, and arotary piston within the cylinder and having piston-heads carriedthereby.

2. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder,

rotary abutments arranged in pairs and having recesses in their outerperiphery, steamsupply openings in opposite sides of each pair ofabutments, a rotary piston within the cylinder, piston-heads carriedthereby, and adapted to enter said recesses in their outer periphery. 3.A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, rotaryabutments arranged in pairs and geared to the piston, said abutmentshaving recesses therein, steamsupply pipes in communication with thecylinder on opposite sides of each pair of abutments and piston-headscarried by the piston and adapted to enter the recesses in the abutmentsto pass the same.

4. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, asteam-chest in communication with said cylinder, a rotary valve withinthe steam-chest and having two openings radially arranged, and means forclosing the inner opening.

5. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, astea1n-chest in communication with said cylinder by two ports, a rotaryvalve within the steam-chest and having two openings communicating withthe opening in the chest, and outwardly-sliding gates carried by thevalve for closing the inner opening for admitting steam to the cylinderfor a longer or shorter period of time.

6. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, asteam-chest in communication with said cylinder by two ports arrangedout of a radial line, a rotary valve within the steani-chest and havingtwo openings radially arranged, and outwardly-sliding gates carried bythe valve for closing the inner opening for admitting steam to thecylinder for a longer or shorter period of time.

7. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a rotary piston therein,rotary abutments engaging the outer periphery of the piston and gearedto the piston, piston-headscarried by the piston, a rotary valve forcontrolling the supply of steam to the cylinder, two series ofradially-arranged openings carried by the valve and communicating withthe steamsupply pipe, and means carried by the valve for closing oropening one of said series of openings, whereby the supply of steam isincreased or decreased.

8. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a rotary piston therein,rotary abutments engaging the outer periphery of the piston,piston-heads carried by the outer periphery of the piston, a steam-chestcarried by the cylinder, steam-supply pipes in communication with thecylinder at one end and the opposite ends of said pipes having twocommunications out of a radial line, a rotary valve in said steam-chestand having two series of openings therein, and means carried by saidvalve for opening or closing one of said series of openings.

9. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a rotary piston therein, asteam-chest carried by the cylinder, steam-pipes connecting the cylinderand the steam-chest, said pipes having two communications with thesteamchest, a rotary valve in said steam-chest and having two series ofopenings communicating with the openings in the steampipe, and meanscarried by said valve for opening or closing one of said series ofopenings in the valve. I

10. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder,

a rotary piston therein, a steam-chest carried by the cylinder,steam-pipes in communication with the cylinder, said pipes having twocommunications with the steam-chest, a rotary valve in said chest andclosing said openi ngs, said valve having two series of openingscommunicating with the openings in the steam-pipes, and sliding gatesadapted to open or close one of said series of openings, whereby thelength of time of the admission of steam is changed.

11. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a rotary piston therein,piston-heads carried by the piston, rotary abutments carried by thecylinder and arranged in pairs, and having recesses therein to receivethe pistonhead to allow the same to pass, steam-supply pipes incommunication with the cylinder on each side, of said pair of abutments,and means for admitting steam to either side of each pair of abutmentsfor reversing the engine.

12. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a rotary piston therein,piston-heads carried by the piston, rotary abutments carried by thecylinder and arranged in pairs and having recesses therein to allow thepistons to pass, steam-supply pipes in communication with the cylinderon opposite sides of each pair of abutments, valves controlling saidpipes, and links connecting said valves and adapted to close'the valveson one side of all of the pairs of openings and open the valves on theopposite side or vice versa.

13. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein,piston-heads carried by the piston, rotary abutments arranged in pairsand geared to the piston and having recesses therein for allowing thepiston-heads to pass, steam-supply pipes in communication with thecylinder on both sides of each pair of abutments, valves controllingsaid passageways, links connecting the valves, and so arranged that onepassage-way for each pair of rotary abutments is open and one closed.

14. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein,piston-heads carried by the piston, rotary abutments arranged in pairsand geared to the piston and having recesses sash/76 therein forallowing the piston-heads to pass,- steam-supply pipes in communicationwith the cylinder, a steam-chest carried by the cylinder and incommunication with the said supply-pipes at two points, a rotary valvein the steam-chest and having two series of openings registering withthe communications with the supply-pipes, and sliding gates carried bythe rotary valve and adapted to close one of said series of openings,whereby the steam-supply to the cylinder is increased or decreased.

15. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein,piston-heads carried by the piston, rotary abutments within the cylinderand having recesses to allow the piston-heads to pass, a steam-chestcarried by the cylinder, pipes in communication with the cylinders andhaving their inner ends curved and having two series of openingscircumferentially arranged and out of a radial line with each other, arotary valve within the chest and closing said openings, said valvehaving two series of circuniferentially-arranged openings adapted toregister with the openings in the pipes, and sliding gates carried bythe rotary valve and adapted to close the inner series of openingscarried by the valve.

16. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein,piston-heads carried by the piston, rotary abutments within the cylinderand having recesses to allow the piston-heads to pass, a steam-chestcarried by the cylinder, pipes in communication with the cylinder oneach side of the abutments and having their inner ends curved and havingtwo series of openings circumferentially arranged and out of a radialline with each other, a rotary valve within the chest and closing saidopenings, said valve having two series of circumferentially-arrangedopenings arranged in a radial line, whereby one of said series ofopenings registers with one series in the chest, and sliding gatescarried by the rotary valve and adapted to close the inner series ofopenings carried by the valve, links connected-to the gates and havingtheir outer ends connected to a sleeve slidably mounted upon theengine-shaft but held against rotation, and means carried by the sleevefor sliding the same on the shaft, whereby the gates are moved in or outover said openings.

17. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, asteam-chest having two series of circumferential communications with thecylinder out of a radial line, a rotary valve within the chest andhaving two series of radially-arranged openings communicating with theopenings in the chest, and means carried by the valve for closing theinner series of openings.

18. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, asteam-chest having two series of circumferential communications with thecylinder out of a radial line, a rotary ICC ITO

tary valve within the chest and having two series of radially-arrangedopenings adapted to alternately register with the two series of 15openings in the steam-chest, and sliding valves carried by the rotaryvalve for closing the inner series of openings.

In testimony whereof I a'HiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. SMALSTIG. WVitnesses:

RUSSELL M. ANDERSON, FRED L. JonNsoN.

